MTV News sent a team of reporters to Haiti to chronicle the recovery effort in the wake of January 12th devastating earthquake. We followed their journey via e-mails, tweets, BBMs and video. Reporter Suchin Pak sent us these recollections of her trip in advance of tonight's BET telethon, "SOS Saving Ourselves: Help for Haiti."
By Suchin Pak
?Just as the USS Carl Vinson, one of the largest aircraft carriers in the Naval fleet, left its port in Norfolk, Virginia, the earthquake hit Haiti. The supercarrier was among the first group of relief boats to arrive in the port of Port-au-Prince and it began its emergency relief mission immediately. The Vinson is like a giant city floating in the ocean, with thousands of military personnel and extensive medical facilities. This 24-story-tall ship became the most active airport supporting the Operation Unified Relief, the military's official response to Haiti. Overnight, it became the major hub for helicopters picking up and dropping off supplies, essentially functioning as a floating airport, with the capability to convert 400,000 gallons of sea water into drinking water through its giant desalination plant.
When you see this massive machine in action, it's hard to even imagine the magnitude of coordination needed to get immediate relief to the people on shore. Helicopters are flying in every 10 minutes, giant tubes are pumping in ocean water to be distilled and the ship's crew is on full alert. It's a constant hum of activity, day and night.
??Leslie Hubbel, a 31-year-old officer from Baltimore, described what it's like being a part of a military relief mission, saying that it's a very different atmosphere on board than in times of war. There's a sense of purpose and an intense camaraderie in knowing that everyone on board and every piece of equipment is being used to bring aid.?? A young coast guard member from New Orleans, Stephen Lehmann, 25, told me about a Haitian woman in labor who had been airlifted to the Vinson. The baby was born as soon as she landed, and she named him Vinson. You realize that most of the young crew on board have never been deployed overseas — that this is their first glimpse of military action, and for someone like Stephen, it's the most gratifying work he's ever been a part of.